Electrical-circuit breaker.



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Vl B ATTORNEY H. R. STUART. ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BBEAKEB. APPLICATION FILED F1113. 6, 1906.

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Patented ocu. 25, 1910.

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WM Y ATTORNEY INVENTOR UNITED STATES IPATENT OFFICE.

HARVE STUART, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRICAL-CIRCUIT BREAKEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patented oet. 25, 1910.

Application led February 6, 1906. Serial No. 299,762.

novel an improved structure and arrange- 'ment ofV parte whereby the simultaneous opening of a plurality of circuit-breakers ma, be effected.

hen polyphase electric circuits are pro tected by means of circuitfbreakers, it is desirable that the breakers pertaining to the several phases of the circuit shall be o f erated simultaneously, or nearly so, upon t e occurrence of abnormal conditions. =ln order to eil'ect4 such simultaneous operation,

' the circuit-breakers have heretofore been independently operated and the tripping mechanisms therefor have usually been mechanically.. connected so that when one breaker'was released, release of the others was hlso eHected. For the purpose, however, of rendering the operation of-a plurality of such devices more reliable and satisfactory, than has beenthev case when thus constructed and arranged, I propose to provide the breakers with independent tripping mechanisms and with but a single operating handle, and to soconstruct an .arrange the parts that when one of the breakers opens, '1t will move the operating handle and cause theV release of the remaining breakers.

Figure 1 of 'the' accompanyin drawings is a view, in sideelevation, o a circuitbreaker constructed in accordance with my vinvention andv Fig. 2 is a view, in front ele- 'vaton of two circuit-breakers like that "loting shiXninF. 'i' d "b h era 1n eser! t e invention the grits of only a .single circuit-breaker will referred to it be' underood that the structures of ofthe akers to whichtlliiek invention is applied are substantially a e.

-Pivotally sup shaped bracket upon` "front of an msupanel8,isa s1itchann4towhich'a contact member 5 composedof thin of conducting material, such as copper, is' rigidly secured. The ends of the memberl are beveled and are adapted to engage up per and lower stationary circuit terminals 6 and 7, respectively, the former of which is secured to the panel 3 by means of a throu h bolt 8, one end of which is screwthreaded and provided with a nut 9, whereby the terminal may be connected to an electrical circuit. A bracket 10 extends wardly from the terminal 6 and ri 'dly sup ports a carbon block 11 with whic another carbon block 12, that is pivotally mounted in the upper end of theswitch arm 4, is

adapted to engage. A spring 13 serves to tilt the block 12 from the position shown, when the circuit-breaker is opened, in such manner that the upper edges of the blocks will be last to disen age and when the circuit-breaker is close the upper edges will also be' rst to-engage. The circuit terminal 7 is connected to one terminal of a coil 14 having a core 15, the other terminal of the' coil being connected to a throu h bolt 16, the free end of which is threade and provided with a nut 17, whereby connection may 'oc made to an electrical circuit.

A pair of toggle levers 18 and 19 fo opera ting the swltch arm 4 may he actuated by means of another lever 20 that is mounted, concentrically with the lever 19, upon a pin 2 1, between the outer ends of the bracket 2, the inwardly extending end of the lever 2O engaging the toggle levers at the tween them. The outer ends of the evers 20 of adjacent breakers may be connected by means -of a bar 22 that carries an operating rivets 26 and 27, the pin 26 serving to pivotally connect'the levers 18 and 19. The bell crank lever' 19 is provided with a lug -28 that is adapted to engage a corresponding lug or stop 29 on the 'stationary bracket 2 to prevent completestraightening of' the toggle joint. Springs' 30,` the opposite of which 'am attached to lu 31 on the togle lever 19 vand to the switac arm 4, norma y' tend to cause buckling or of the Ato le I e evers and the circuit-breaker areheld infthe'poeition shownfwagainst ftheztenxnon'of -in the position slliown, against a pin or stop '34, by means of a spring 35. A frame 36,

that 1s also loosely mounted upon the pin 33,

.carries an armature 37 for the electro-mag net 15. and a weight 38, thc position of which may bc adjusted'by means of a thumb screw 39'for the purpose of var ing the electromagnetic force that the e cetro-magnet 15 must exert u on the armature 37 in order to raise it. he frame 36 is also provided with a lug or stop 40 that is 'adapted to en gage a downwardly projecting arm 41 of the tri ger- 32 when the armature 37 is raised, an thus disengage the trigger 32 from the pin 27 and ermit the springs '30 to buckle the toggle joint and open the circuit-breaker.

-Upon the occurrence of an overload, a ground, a. short circuit or any otherabnormal condition causing an excessive flow of current upon one conductor of a circiut that is protected by means of these circuit-breakers, the breaker for that conductor will be released automatically, in la manner which will be readily understood from the description and drawings, on account of the raising of the amature. Upon buckling of the toggle joint between the levers 18 and 19` the inwardly extending end of the lever'20, is

. carried downwardly by the joint. The levers 20 of all-of the breakers beingrigidly connected by means of the bar 22, all will be operated in a similar manner, and the inner ends thereof will be brought into engagement with the corresponding triggers, the levers being of a length to permit such en ragemeut, and the release of the remaining breakers will thus be effected mechanically. It is seen, therefore, that when one of the circuit-breakers opens automatically on ac count of the occurrence of abnormal condiiwith wh tions in the corresponding circuit conductor, release of the reinalnin reliably insured by mec anical means.

Since the'tripping mechanisms are inde-r pendcntlyactuated and may be adjusted to operate upon the .occurrence of given abnormal condlt'ons in the particular conductors icli they are connected, the operation of allv of .the breakers in a polyphase circuit, when unbalancing occurs therein, will depend. only upon the occurrence of those conditions in a single conductor thereof, and not upon an aggregate eiect of the abnormal conditions in two ormoreconductors, as has heretofore been the case with some circuit u'eakcrs.

"hile I have shown and described my invention as a plicd to only two circuit-breakers, it will ble readily understood that it is equally applicable to a gzeatcr number, and that, if desired, it may device,

circuit-breakers is j en applied to multif ho ple pole or other circuit-breakers for direct current circuits. I Obviously, the structural details and arrangements of the parts of the circuit-break for retaining the circuit-breakers in closed position, of an electromagnetically actuated means for withdrawing each retaining and means for actuating the rojections of the other circuit-breakers to e ect withdrawal of their retaining devices.

2. The combination with a plurality of circuit-breakers, operating levers therefor having projecting ends and a sin le handle for moving all o? the levers, of evices for retaining the breakers in closed position, an electromagnetically actuated mea-ns for tripping each retaining device and means for actuating the projecting ends of the operating levers to trip all .of the retainin devices which are not electromagnetically tripped.

3. In a circuit-breaker the combination with a movable switch arm and toggle levers for actuating the same, ofl means co erating directly with one of said toggle. evers osed posi' having an to retain the circuit-breaker in c tion, and a loosely mounted lever arm for directly engaging the joint between the toggle levers to close the breaker and' adapted to engage the retaining means to trip the breaker.

4. In a circuit-breaker, the combination with a movable switch arm and toggle membersn for actuating the sar'ne,of means cooperating directly With one of said toggle members to retain the circuit-breaker in closed position, independently actuated means for releasing the same, and a loosely mounted lever h'avmT an arm for engaging the joint between the toggle members to close the breaker and adapted to cn ge the.

retaining means to release the brea er.

5. In acircuit--breake the combination with a switch arm and toggle members for actuating the same, of a trigger that en" gages-one of ii'id members to retain the 'circuit-breaker in closed position, and a lever loosely pivoted concentrically with one of the toggle members and having au arm for engaging the joint between the members to close the breaker and adapted to gage the .trigger and move it from its ding position.'

5 the toggle members 6. The combination with `a pluralityl of circuit-breakers, each` of which comprises a .switch arm, l.toggle members for actuatin the same, means oogerating with one o cuit-breaker in closed position, and levers having roxecting ends to effect closing operation o t e togglemembers and to also trip the retaining means when oppositely or retaining the eir-v moved:l of e single actuating handle for the 1o operating levers of all the breakers.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name thisBOt-h day of J an uary 1906.'

HARVE R. STUART. Witnesses: HOWARD G. MCDONALD, BIRNEY HINEs. 

